ElementInternals: ariaControlsElements property
Baseline 2025Newly available
Since April 2025, this feature works across the latest devices and browser versions. This feature might not work in older devices or browsers.
The ariaControlsElements property of the ElementInternals interface is an array containing the element (or elements) that are controlled by the element it is applied to.
For example, this might be set on a combobox to indicate the element that it pops up, or on a scrollbar to indicate the ID of the element it controls.
The aria-controls topic contains additional information about how the attribute and property should be used.
Value
An array of subclasses of HTMLElement, representing the elements that are controlled by this element.
When read, the returned array is a static and read-only. When written, the assigned array is copied: subsequent changes to the array do not affect the value of the property.
Description
The property is a flexible alternative to using the aria-controls attribute to set the controlled elements.
Unlike aria-controls, the elements assigned to this property do not have to have an id attribute.
The property reflects the aria-controls attribute when it is defined, but only for listed reference id values that match valid in-scope elements.
If the property is set, then the corresponding attribute is cleared.
For more information about reflected element references and scope see Reflected element references in the Reflected attributes guide.
Specifications
| Specification |
|---|
| Accessible Rich Internet Applications (WAI-ARIA) # dom-ariamixin-ariacontrolselements |
Browser compatibility
See also
aria-controlsattributeElement.ariaControlsElements- Reflected element references in the Attribute reflection guide